


Mistfall

by Fox_Tyden



Category: Mistfall, Original Work
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 05:28:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10404942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fox_Tyden/pseuds/Fox_Tyden
Summary: This story is illustrated on my Nintendo account, using Pokémon Art Academy ('cuz I don't have a better program to draw), you can find me as Lynn Loud.Hope someone can do me the favor to take the images an make them .jpg or .png format.





	

As much as Kenneth loves to hang out with his friends, not all of them are always available to do it. Some days everyone have to work or visit a relative to check if it was still alive.  
Today was one of those days.  
Being a bat would mean that Kenneth should live at night and sleep all day, but he was different in this treat. The day was his playground and the night was his realm. No one could explain how Kenneth was able to sleep just 5 hours and be very active and functional the rest of the day. Not even he.  
Since nobody was able to adventuring the deeps of a cave that he found while he was hunting last night, he just lost interest on it and decided to do some actual work... maybe he will clean his stocks at the antique store that he have.. hmm he should open that store more often and get rid-off of some souvenirs and miscellaneous that he, Tangerine and Astor had found on the last expedition to the old ghost town (from about a week ago).  
Ugh! What a boring day this was going to be.

His cave was about 20 minutes at fly from the town and 30 minutes from his antique shop but Kenneth usually makes a full hour or more, this because he must collect his food on the way (bugs and fruits), and if he was lucky to have enough fruits, he could stop by the asylum at the cliff and buy some blood (he is a vampire bat).  
He began to dream about the metallic taste of fresh blood in his mouth that he didn't fix on a peach that fell from his satchel.

-Huf!- a tomboyish girl voice muffed from under the peach tree -ouchchchc! What the heck?! Who threw this!!

Kenneth immediately snapped back to the real world. He turned to look at the source of the voice and as if the destiny had plotted it, his eyes met the eyes of a wolf beneath him.  
Have to say that Kenneth's eyes aren't as good as most animals since the bats use their sonar to see, but he trained himself to mix both of his tools to have a high definition image of what surrounded him. The results were stunning sometimes, like right now.  
The wolf was no one else than Lexa, the beta of the local wolf pack.  
His heart began to beat faster and faster the more details of her he gets from his virtual vision. She was the kind of girl he likes: aggressive, sometimes overexcited, a total dork of closet on some topics, easy to scare, lazy, and if the situation demands; a really good and caring boss. In other words the girl of his dreams. He don't know her personally, but he was pretty much her stalker (yeah not really proud of that).

-Kenneth?- she said -is that you up there?

Again, her voice drew him back from Lexaland to the real world.

-Ah! umm... h-hi Lexa!- _smooth._

Slowly, Kenneth began his dissent, careful not to trow his sack of fruit. As he reached the floor Lexa seized him in an intimidating posse that make his heart beat like the one of a hummingbird (well, maybe not that fast but you get the idea), she was trying to be intimidating but for him this was one of her charms that he loved. He forced himself to look like as if he were scared and not excited.

-Aaaah... I-

-Why. Did. You. Do. That?- she said, making her voice sound as intimidating as her posse, barely making it.

She was aggressive and proud, but for some reason she lacked on the intimidation department. Her snarls were kinda cute and her howls could melt your heart not with fear, but with the power of cuteness-overload.  
She hated it.  
That was the main reason of why she was the beta of the pack and not Astor.

-Uh.. sorry, what?- Kenneth said with a mixture of confusion and fake fear.

-The peach!- Lexa's desperation was now her fuel -why did  you threw me that peach?! _-_ She looked for the peach at the floor to pick it up but the peach was long gone downhill. _  
_

-What? NO! I would never...- Kenneth was confused about this. He would never NEVER hurt her on purpose, but then this wasn't the first time that he had threw something from his satchel. He took his satchel with his claws to inspect it  closely. There were still five peaches, his notebook, his pencil case, his exploration kit, and in one corner of the satchel a hole of the size of his "fist" -oh snap! I didn't saw this before. Sorry Lexa.

Lexa was still angry, but seeing that it was just an accident she lowered her guard a little. Nevertheless, she still wanted to maintain her "intimidating" pose as long as she could do it, after all, she just knew Kenneth from Holly (her alpha) and mostly from Astor (the beta) who help him in some explorations and vice versa. This was a golden opportunity for her to look like and feel like a real boss, and maybe this exercise could help her in the next exam with Holly.

-W-well.. youu *shiver* you must check your t-things before you go out of your cave!- _smooth_.

Kenneth had to fight back his instincts to hug her. She really looked cute fighting her way to become an intimidating presence. But he knew she needed some moral backup so he played along the role of the frighten child for a littler more.

-S-sorry ma'am! I can assure you that this won't repeat in the future!- maybe that was a little bit too much, he was sure that she had notice th-

-I sure hope so- she said, dripping pride of herself with each word.

Lexa relaxed her pose and letting out an unnoticed sigh of relieve she smiled. Kenneth's heart skipped a beat.

-Welp- Lexa said -you sure have things to do so I'm leaving.

-Wait!- Kenneth shout -I.. aaa.. I mean, no, I don't have anything to do right now- _what am I doing? -_ Can I stick with you?- _Oh. My. God. Did I just say that? Earth, please eat me._

Lexa didn't say a thing. She just stood there, exchanging her weight, looking at him with a blank expression. " _I'm so friking dumb!_ " Kenneth scolded himself " _I want to die right now_ "  
But to his surprise she didn't laugh or weirded out, instead, she gave him a warm and sincere smile before answer.

-Yeah, sure. I could use your help if you don't mind.

-Not at all!! What do you need?

-Well, I was searching for supplies for the pack, some of them grow on very troublesome places like in the highest branches of the trees or in the ledges of cliffs, you can get them easily by flying.

-You just say frog and I jump.

-Perfect! Thank you Kenneth! Come on, we have to move fast before twilight.

-But it's still morning. It will be hours before twilight!

-Yep, but I have to get various supplies from various places and we have to avoid big chunks of land due to the territorial limits. 

And without anything else to add, the two of them began their way to the forest.

 

A couple of hours had passed and they had already gathered some of the supplies, but there was still an uncomfortable silence between them and for Kenneth it was taking him toll. Every time he wanted to break the ice the words kept getting stuck on his throat. Something funny if you think it.  
Kenneth have the reputation of being the soul of the friendship. Wherever he went, he always end up making friends whit someone. At the extreme of having contacts everywhere and on everything; from beggars to counts, from police to mafia lords. Goshdam Queffer the emerald dragon was his friend!!  
His silver tongue was his best tool, but right now he couldn't even say a word to his companion fearing that somehow he would screw his opportunity to be the entire day with her, just the two of them, and maybe the promise of having her in another of the explorations with the group.  
- _Things always become complicated when you are with the one you love-_ he told to himself.

-I was wondering...- Lexa began to Kenneth's relief -Why are you awake at this time of the day? I mean, you are a bat aren't you? The bats aren't suppose to be nocturnal?

This wasn't and it would not be the last time that he will hear this question, and the answer was always the same: -Yep, I'm a vampire bat, but I have this kind of hyperactivity that doesn't let me be quiet for long periods of time. I have to be really REALLY tired to sleep more than 6 hours, so I am active for most of the day, even at daylight.

-Wow! that is pretty impressive.. wait! did you say that you are a vampire?

-A vampire bat, yes.

Just as he finished his words Lexa jumped taking three steps away from him, making the sacred sign with her right paw. This took Kenneth by surprise. He paused for a couple of seconds before realizing the reason of her reaction.

-Oh! I'm not THAT kind of vampire. I'm from a species of bats that are called vampires because of our diet.

Lexa loosen up her pose but she kept her distance, with her paw still making the sign, just in case -So you eat some kind of bugs or fruit that have juices red as the blood? that's the reason?

The question was so childish and pure that instead of giving him the idea of her being dumb, it make his heart to beat heavily with love -umm.. no, we actually drink blood.

She was thankful that she didn't let her guard down and in what looked like blurry moves, she took with her left paw a net from her pouch, throwing it at him with a heron aim, making him fall to the forest floor, and while he was falling to the forest floor she took a branch from the nearest tree, long enough to became a spear.  
When he finally hit the floor, she was waiting for him with a improvised spear (sharpened with her claws) on her left hand and still making the sign with her left paw.

-Nice try you vampire- she began -but I'm not an easy girl to be enslaved and transformed into.. "that" kind of toy.

Kenneth was stunned by the fall that her accusations sounded like whispers between the buzzing noise in his ears.  
He looked at her but his sight was limited only to his eyes since his ears were buzzing, but it was enough to see that she was getting closer and closer to him with a menacing pose, ready to end him if he gives her the opportunity.

-Wait, wait!- Kenneth begged while he tried to release himself from the net with fruitless efforts -I told you that it's not that kind of vampire that you are thinking of!

In a couple of strides she was on top of him, stopping him with one of her hind legs -Lies from a dead man! ... a dead undead man.

- _She is going to kill me!!-_ he though as he kicked some leaves if a desperate effort to escape -We don't turn people to zombies like them!- he shout in a final effort to survive -We just drink blood as part of our diet! is something that the evolution left us from ancient times. Please!

Lexa looked dead in the eyes, hers were the ones of a witch hunter, ready to end the life of his prey. Now Kenneth could see beyond her cuteness and he cursed himself for not accomplish the dangers that her ignorance could bring. Lexa was indeed a formidable foe, after all Astor told him once that she were once the beta of the pack (and the most likely to became the alpha if something happened to Holly).  
After a couple of struggles Lexa have had enough and without any warning she threw the first blow with the improvised spear, missing by just a couple of inches. Kenneth almost wet himself.

-STOP IT WOMAN!- he yelled as he began to jump like a caterpillar trying to escape from a bird -Those vampires are just pure dam fantasy!- another stab missed him -We usually just bite cows and sheeps (the livestock, not the sentient ones) and we don't suck the blood, we LICK it! It's nature not fantasy you ignorant dumb!

Unsure of the effectiveness of his lecture, Kenneth fought as hard as he could for his life, jumping erratically, but it was becoming a difficult task thanks to the dizziness of his recent fall, with his sonar still debilitated and his vision blurred for the sudden moves that he was making. He was basically fighting in the dark.

-STOP!- he heard her yell and then again another failed stab right next to his head -Don't move or else..!

-Or else WHAT?!- he yelled back, still blindly jumping -If I stop I'm dead!

-No! If you don't stop you will fall!!

He heard her, but he wasn't fast enough to catch her warning.  
Kenneth felt his body, still tangled in the net, slipping from the corner.  
He felt his feet trying and failing to grab the edge and seconds later an exposed root.  
He also felt the spear passing by his head as he fell.  
Suddenly, he felt something hitting him hard on his side, sending him with it to a ledge, stopping his fall.

-A..are you okay?!- Lexa said with a cracking voice, her muzzle next to his ear.

-Yes.. yes, I believe- did she just had save his life?

-Thank goddess! I... let me...- he felt one of her razor claws cutting the net, freeing him from it -I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!- she began to apologize, her voice cracking on some parts -I... I know sometimes I can be stupid because of my ignorance.. a-and I know that it is not a excuse for almost killing you! I.. i.. i'm..- at this point she was unable to keep going with her apologice. Her voice muffed between sobs and whimpers.

Part of him was still mad at her for almost killing him, but instead of yell at her fro her deadly mistake, he began to think on her situation: for what she knew, vampires existed and her companion that she had just met confessed that he was one of them. But even after discovering it, knowing how powerful vampires could be, she didn't fled, instead she fought him in order to protect everyone else from this danger.  
She was still the potential alfa of a wolf pack despite her current status.  
Kenneth sighed.

-It's ok... well, I mean, it's not ok that you almost killed me because of ignorance. But I too did wrong in calling you ignorant dumb. I'm sorry.

Lexa, sitting in the forest floor, kept crying with her muzzle buried between her paws. Apparently she still felt guilty... or embarrassed, maybe both. Kenneth stood there, all of his rage buried now under a solid mixture of sorrow and pity, thinking what he could do to help her;  _"talk? no, I already tried that. Tell a joke? nope, that is the last thing that could work right now. Maybe I can pet her.. no, I think that petting her being an outsider of the pack could be disrespectful... well, that just leave me with only two options..."_  
Wary of a possible failure... and maybe a defensive reflex, he approached her until he was right beside her. She didn't notice his approach or she didn't care about it, but what she DID noticed was his wing coating her like a membranous cape.  
Lexa raised her face from her paws, searching for his face not really knowing what to expect and even less how to react to it. She was grateful that he was looking to the forest, and blushing like her. She sobbed a couple of times more and carefully not to clean her nose with his fur, she cuddle under his embrace, finally calming herself.  
Kenneth could barely believe that he was hugging his platonic love, AND SHE WAS FINE WITH IT!!  
Well yes, she almost killed him just minutes ago but still! This was by far the best moment in his life! . . . "was" being the key word.

-AHEM!- someone cleared it's voice behind them, making them to jump to their feet. Turning around to see who it was they found a small-then-average cheetah with it's arms folded -Lexa!- the cheetah said with a pitch high girly voice -I've been looking for you for the entire evening! I went to your house in the morning but that dumb brother of yours told me that you went to the forest for supplies- Lexa opened her mouth to talk but the cheetah began to talk again -You know that I don't like to wait like a tree so I figured that I could help you with this so we could finish "Steven Pawniverse" and finally catch-up with the current episode... But I see that you went to a date with this. . .- she made a disrespectful sign to point Kenneth. He wasn't surprised.

-Hey Keila- he said slily -long time no see. How it's going?- Keila was about to destroy him with both; insults and her claws when Lexa began to speak, apparently unaware of the situation.

-K..Keila! Y-you got it w..wrong! W..we were't on a date..- that last sentence make her feel... sad? Why do she feel sad? -We just personally met each-other this morning. He is helping me to gather the supplies for the pack. That's all..

-Mhm... Ok, I believe you- and if she just have pulled off a thorn from her paw, all of her hostility and aggressiveness fade away with her annoyed expression, giving place to a cheerful smile -In that case, let's go and have a girls night!

-Sorry Keila but we still have some things to get. I don't think we could be able to finish until night. And we wasted time with... with something.

That last part could mean that they were doing... "things" to anyone foreign of the events that just had transpired between them. Kenneth babbled a muted "Lexa!" with the intention to scold her but fortunately Keila was very "innocent" to catch that kind of double sense.

-Then in that case, let me help you!

-No! . . I mean, no thank you Keila, the more we are the slow we will move. I'm sorry friend, but Kenneth can help me to get some difficult stuff so I have to stick with him.

If those words had hurt Keila, she didn't show it -Fine, I'll see you 'morrow then!- without waiting any response, she waved a good bye and disappeared in the woods, leaving Lexa and Kenneth alone again.

. . . .

An awkward silence took place between them again but this time was different than the last time. Mostly because of the situation that they were just before Keila had crashed out.  
Kenneth felt confused of how to proceed. Between the boldest move he had ever done with a girl in his life and the near dead experience by the hand of his secret love, his mind was a total mess. He cursed and thanked Keila for break the moment back there.  
Words came to his mind, but not to his mouth. Should he confess his love? Should he just act like nothing had happened? It was getting late and-

-So.. you know Keila?- as if she could read his mind, Lexa broke the silence again, leaving possibly the best topic to break the tension.

Kenneth didn't hesitated -Y..yea, I know her for Candace... you know who is Candace?

-The vixen? Yes I know her. She's a lovely girl, but really immerse in those books of her.

-Yup, just like Keila with her anime and cartoons stuff. Sometimes I wonder how do they became friends.

-Knowing Keila surely they had met each other on a stereotypic anime accident, like bumping Candace while she was running with a toast in her mouth.

Lexa and Kenneth exchanged a laugh at the expense of their friend.  
The laughs slowly fade away along with the discomfort. They looked each other in the eyes, not with regret, sorrow or discomfort, but with happiness and joy, like two friends of long time.

-We should hit the road again- Kenneth said, looking at the twilight  -we still have things to collect.

-Actually, I think we are done.

-Really?- Kenneth said, his words imbued in sorrow. He wanted to be with her a little more -wait a minute, didn't you told Keila that we still have things to collect?

-Yeeeeaaaa, about that.. it's not like I don't appreciate her help but I still have pack things to do and she is a massive distraction for me... besides she tends to get stuck and I have to help her.

-I feel you- Kenneth said chuckling -I like her even if the sentiment isn't mutual, but oh man! her second nature is getting herself in problems.

They shared another laugh before making their way back.

 

 

-Have you ever wondered- Lexa said -why is it called "Mistfall"?

Kenneth looked at her from above her head, his face drew with confusion. It was night already but the moonlight was bright enough to see the way.

-Haven't heard the tales?

Lexa denied with her head. It was possible for someone that live in Mistfall to not know why is it called like that? And the tales! His mother had told him all of them before sleep. They weren't that good, but they were part of the local culture and history that you could say with 100% of security (now 98%) that each Mistfall habitant knew them by memory.

-There is a bunch of them! . . . but I'm not going to bother you with them, instead. . .let me see if we are nearby- while hours had passed, Kenneth was still a little dizzy from the fall and his sonar was playing him bad jokes, he was thankful that he could see (not very good tho) with only his eyes.  
He flew higher and higher until he passed the tree cups. It didn't took him much to locate what he was looking for and with all the dexterity that he was capable at that time, he dived through the air to the floor, stopping just inches above Lexa's head, then he began to hover her.

-Come on!- he said -I'm going to show you "the fall"

Lexa began to protest but her companion was already on his way.  
Well, she asked for it.

 

After a while of  walking between the woods, in an unexplored area (at least for her), Lexa began to wonder if her previous assumption of her companion being a blood-sucking monster was actually true.  
Maybe he was guiding her directly into one of his secret places and once there no one could hear her screaming for help!  
Well, she ca take him easily like she did before. She never leave the house without two of her hand-made nets and a bottle of iron barbs (just in case some fey happen to appear and be a douche), and for the stake, she can improvise like before.  
. . .  
Or maybe he had told her the truth and her illiteracy was making her an ignorant fool.. and a killer. . . _again_.

-There it is!

His words got her out of her trance, now it was too late for her, she had felt into his trap and...

-WOOOOA!- she said as her eyes opened wide and so her muzzle.

In front of them, in an open at the dim light of the moon, there was a stretch fissure that separate the woods behind them and the mountain. Lexa tried to see if she could see where the fissure ended or begin unsuccessfully. It was like if one of those lines that divide the territories on the maps just became real. And not only that!  
She got closer to the edge to confirm it... yeah it wasn't just her eyes, a white glow came out from the fissure along side with a thick mist.  
It looked like something mystic or magical was happening down there.

-"That" is why this place is called Mistfall- Kenneth unnecessary explained -the story says that the first people to find this place almost died like lemmings.

-Lemmings?

-Yeah.. those little rodents that have the bad reputation of following their leader without questioning even if the fall of a cliff.

-Oh... so they...

-Yup, they were a group of 20 people and when they saw the fissure it was too late for them to stop the caravan. Only 6 people were lucky to jump to the safety.  
"It took them around of a month to resupply and find a way to go back to safety. But by then they have already began the construction of a town, so they decided to go back here with more people to colonize the place, and so the name it "Mistfall" to honor the memories of those who fell to the abyss.

-So the lights down there are the souls of all the living things that have fell?

Kenneth looked at Lexa, her expression the one of a pup who just had find out how to reach the cookie jar. No wonder why he loved her so much.

-Maybe- he said, turning to face the fissure -or it could be that down there the "Hyakki Yagyo" is taking place every night.

-Oooooooh! That could be awesome if it's true! How deep it is?

-Hum... I don't think there is a satisfactory answer for that. Some books says that is as deep that reaches a magma plate and that's where the mist and the glow came from.

Istead of demoralize her, this just served her as fuel for her already wild imagination. Lexa's thoughts circled around the story of the Hyakki Yagyo (or the parade of the thousand demons), walking down in the deeps of the abbyss.  
Probably there was the place were all of the yokai of that area used to make their event like the yokai from Japawn uses the streets.  
But as much as she wants to be in that event, she knew that that probably wasn't a good idea since she wasn't one of them and the punishment to interrupt them could mean a nasty dead. Also, her body wasn't strong enough to last the descent, maybe if she could fly. . .

-Kenneth!- she said, her words driping the security that was runing through her body. This took Kenneth who was hovering over her by surprise, he flapped his wings in desynchronization, making him to correct his flight -I need you to do something else for me.

-Aaa.. yes... what do you need?

-I want to go down there- she pointed at the rift -can you take me dorwn there?

-But how? I don't have the tools to do speleology.

-But you can fly me down there!- her tail waving like mad at the idea of finally fly... kind of.

-Lexa... I can't. Bats can't fly with overweight- and the fact that bats have to "release" their overweight after feed by going to the bathroom was something that he didn't want to share with her -I'm sorry.

-Oh... ok...- _*I know you guys probably have seen a dog geting disillusioned. Welp, just imagine Lexa doing that._ _*_ Kenneth felt gulty just seeing her like that and before thinking he said:

-I..I think I can cross you tho... I mean, over the fall- _*Me again over here. If you haven't have give a stray dog some food and love, go and do it because that is exactly the same reaction that Lexa gave Keneth (also, it's really nice to make happy a poor stary dog)*_

-YES, YES YES!! Take me to that tree!!- It was like seeing a puppy on it's birthday party.

Kenneth noded and beign careful not to hit her with his flapping wings, he grabbed her by the hands with his feet. Then he began to flap harder and harder trying to take off with no success.  
After this unfructuous attempt and the reality of the facts, most of the people would give up, but Kenneth was so determinated to give Lexa this that he ignored the pain and fatigue, and when he saw that Lexa's feet leaved the floor, a rush of adrenalin hit him. He could do it, he really could do it!  
With huge confidence, he began their way over the mos dangerous place just to be stoped seconds before reaching the edge.  
Something took Lexa by the legs and pulled her down to the floor. Lexa panicked and release her grip in one of Kenneth's feet, making him to loose control and crash in a nearby three, finally ending in the floor the three of them.  
Lexa was the first to recover thanks to her training. Fear and rage flooded her mind, she didn't care to reach for a potential weapon, she was ready to use her claws and fangs against their attacker. And then she saw her.

-Keila?!

Whit some effort, Keila got up with a half smile, oviously nervous -H..Hi Lex.

-What the heck?! Why did you do that? You could have killed us!

-I was just trying to save you, you two could have fall!

-NO! We were about to cross flying until you almost makle us fall you duche!- Kiela shrank in her place. It was the first time that her dearest friend scold her like that, not like a regular friendly scold, but a hatred scold. Lexa was hurting her.

Lexa oppened her mouth to keep her verbal punishment but a claw on her shoulder make her stop.

-Easy there Lexa- Kenneth said with a gentle voice -she is right. For a moment I thought we really could do it, but now I see that even with the shot of adrenaline and my confidence I wouldn't last long enough to cross us to the other side. I'm sorry Lexa, I really wanted to give you that but my body is not capable of that.

_nom, nom, nom. . ._


End file.
